Thirty Boxes
1077 Words
Emily was lying in the garden, her face turned up to the sun. The warmth felt good. Made her feel normal. Almost made her forget where she was.
She was thinking. Planning. Trying to figure out her next move. Running hadn’t worked. Fighting hadn’t worked. Maybe she needed to be smarter. More patient.
Then a shadow fell over her.
The sunlight disappeared. Emily opened her eyes.
Lothaire’s face was directly above hers. Close. Too close. His dark eyes stared down at her, his expression unreadable. She noticed things she hadn’t before. The sharp line of his jaw. The fullness of his lips. A small dimple on his left cheek that she’d never seen because he never smiled.
He was handsome. Annoyingly handsome.
“I have some business to take care of,” he said. “You’ll accompany me.”
Emily squeezed her face into a scowl. “I said I’m not going anywhere.”
Lothaire sighed. Shook his head. “Get up.”
“No.”
He didn’t wait for her to argue. He grabbed her arm, pulled her into a sitting position, then bent down and hoisted her up. Her head ended up on his back, her thighs resting on his shoulders like a child being carried by their father.
“Put me down!” Emily shouted, hitting his back with her fists.
He didn’t respond. Just started walking toward the car.
-----
The drive to the city was quiet. Lothaire was on the phone the entire time. Different calls. Different languages. Emily sat in the back seat, staring out the window, arms crossed.
They passed a cliff. High. Rocky. Beautiful.
Lothaire hung up the phone and glanced at her. “Zeus tried hiding Kong there once. The monster with a hundred heads. On that mountain.” He pointed out.
Emily didn’t look at him. Just kept staring out the window.
“But Kong still tried to escape,” Lothaire continued.
Emily turned her head slightly, her expression flat. “So Kong didn’t fall in love with Zeus in 365 days?”
Lothaire said nothing.
Emily turned back to the window, a small smile tugging at her lips.
-----
The first store was massive. Designer clothes. Expensive. Everything looked like it cost more than most people’s rent.
Lothaire sat in a chair near the fitting rooms, his legs crossed, watching. His guards stood behind him. Silent. Still.
Emily tried on dress after dress. Twenty in total. Each one fit perfectly. Each one was more expensive than the last.
“We’ll take all of them,” Lothaire said to the sales associate.
The woman nodded, her eyes wide. “All of them?”
“All of them.”
They packed the dresses into six boxes. The guards carried them out to the car.
Next store. Forty dresses this time. Emily didn’t even look at the price tags. Just grabbed whatever caught her eye.
Lothaire didn’t say a word. Just sat there. Watching.
Seven more boxes.
Third store. Fourth store. Fifth store.
By the time they were done, there were over thirty boxes stacked in the back of the SUV. The guards looked exhausted. Emily looked satisfied.
Lothaire stood up from his chair, stretching slightly. “Anything else?”
Emily shrugged. “I could keep going.”
“I’m sure you could.”
They started walking back to the car. Emily was already planning what store to hit next when Lothaire stopped. She followed his gaze.
A lingerie store.
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.
-----
The store was smaller. Quieter. Red lighting. Silk and lace everywhere.
Emily walked through the racks, running her fingers over the fabric. She picked up a black piece. Sexy. Barely there. She held it up, examining it.
“I’ll try this one,” she said to no one in particular.
She walked into the dressing room and closed the curtain. Slipped off her dress. Held the lingerie up to her body, checking it in the mirror.
Then the curtain opened.
Lothaire stepped inside.
Emily’s hands flew to cover herself, holding the lingerie against her chest. “Get out.”
He didn’t move. Just stood there, his eyes locked on hers. He was glancing.
“If you don’t get out,” Emily said, her voice low, “you’ll never see this lingerie on me. Ever.”
Lothaire moved fast. He stepped forward, his hand wrapping around her neck. Not hard. Not painful. Just firm enough to make her breath catch.
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull away. Her eyes stayed on his.
They were inches apart. Noses almost touching. His breath warm against her lips. Her pulse was racing, but she didn’t look away.
“I’ve already ordered that lingerie,” Lothaire said, his voice rough. “And I’ll decide when I want to see it.”
Then he let go. Stepped back. Walked out of the dressing room.
Emily stood there for a moment, her hand on her neck where his had been. Her heart was pounding.
She pulled the lingerie off, threw her dress back on, and walked out of the dressing room. Lothaire was still in the store, looking at another rack.
Emily walked straight up to him and threw the black lingerie at his chest.
“See it on yourself,” she said.
Then she walked out.
Emily kept walking. Fast. The guards started to follow her, but she heard Lothaire’s voice behind her.
“Let her go.”
She glanced back. The guards had stopped. Lothaire was standing in the doorway of the store, his arms crossed, watching her.
The street was busy. People everywhere. Cars. Shops. Noise.
Emily turned forward. Picked up her pace. Fast walking turned into jogging. Jogging turned into running.
She ran down the street, weaving through people. Her heart was racing. This was it. This was her chance.
She saw a building up ahead. Modern. Glass doors. Two security guards standing outside.
Emily ran up to them, breathing hard.
“Please,” she said, her voice shaking. “I need help. Someone kidn*pped me. Please call the police.”
The guards just stood there. Staring at her. Not moving. Not reacting.
Then they nodded. Both of them. At the same time.
“Good morning, sir,” they said in unison.
Emily froze. She turned around.
Lothaire was standing right behind her.
- Writer
